


tangle together, steady my heart

by Areiton



Series: Without Words - Stony Love Confessions [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Love Confessions, M/M, Modern Steve Rogers, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:48:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24226864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Areiton/pseuds/Areiton
Summary: His hands are shaking, a fine tremble that makes the coffee cups vibrate, and Steve reaches for him, catches his hand, and squeezes it, holding tight until he feels the quiet tension slide free. “It’ll be ok, sweetheart,” he murmurs and Tony smiles.Wordless Love Confessions: Holding their hands when they are shaking.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Without Words - Stony Love Confessions [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1748689
Comments: 12
Kudos: 166





	tangle together, steady my heart

**Author's Note:**

> Stony ficlets based on this   
>  [ list ](https://areiton.tumblr.com/post/618328996073062400/50-item-writing-prompts-50-wordless-ways-to-say)

They’ve been dating about a month, when Maria comes to see him. She’s in town for a charity thing, and it’s easy enough to call and set up a lunch and he blurts it out without thinking, that he’s bringing a friend. 

His hands are shaking, is the thing, so bad that Steve reaches over, catches one in his own and squeezes it, a silent reassurance. 

~*~ 

“It’s just--” Tony exhales, a rough noise through his nose. “Rhodey’s my best friend.” 

“I know,” Steve says, and he sounds just as confused as he  _ is _ because of course he knows that, Tony never shuts up about Rhodey, to the point Steve had honestly wondered if he should be concerned, until he joked about it and Tony had recoiled, a look of abject horror on his face, and the fascinated revulsion settled any lingering doubts he had. 

His hands are shaking, a fine tremble that makes the coffee cups vibrate, and Steve reaches for him, catches his hand, and squeezes it, holding tight until he feels the quiet tension slide free. “It’ll be ok, sweetheart,” he murmurs and Tony smiles. 

Then brightens, a smile Steve’s never seen crossing his lips, as a tall black man enters the cafe. 

He doesn’t let go over Steve, though. 

~*~ 

“Jarvis,” Tony says, nervously. He licks his lips. “This is Steve.” 

The old man is tall and thin and distinguished, and he’s smiling at Steve, kind while his eyes are sharp and Tony--

Tony is still and quiet, peaceful at his side. 

Steve’s heart does a little tumble, because he remembers how anxious he had been with Maria and Rhodey, and how  _ sure _ he must be, to not feel that now. 

“It’s so nice to meet you at last, Captain. The young sir has told me so much about you.” 

Steve gropes for Tony’s hand and it’s familiar and right, in his, and Tony’s smile is bright and beautiful. 

~*~ 

Sometimes, when Tony rides him, Steve holds his hands. Twines their fingers together while Tony’s head falls back and sweat glistens on his skin and his eyes close, his mouth wet and open and he’s so fucking beautiful it  _ hurts _ , and when Steve fucks up into him, Tony moans, sweet and pretty just for him and his whole body trembles, but their hands--

Their hands cling tight and sure. 

~*~ 

He doesn’t talk, when Tony breaks down at the graveside, just stands next to him, and let’s Tony cling to him, and the whole world shakes around them. 

~*~ 

There’s a lot of things that go unsaid between them. It was only supposed to be a one night stand, after all. But Tony moves into his studio apartment when Rhodey deploys, and they never really talk about it. Steve moves into his penthouse apartment, when he graduates, and they never really talk about it. They live together and around each other, and they never really talk about it, about the lives they’re building with each other--they talk about Steve’s work and Tony’s, about AI’s and nightmares, about Rhodey and SI and Steve’s unit and a gallery opening. 

They never talk about what they’re  _ doing _ though. 

Sometimes--at a gala, in the halls of SI, at a gallery opening, walking home from dinner--Tony will reach for him, and his fingers will tremble, and when Steve squeezes, reassuring and solid, they’ll steady, squeeze back, until Tony is quiet and peaceful. 

He thinks maybe that says everything that they don’t have words for. 

~*~ 

“Captain,” a voice says, and it’s officious and sharp, and he  _ knows _ that tone. 

He hasn’t been in the Army for five years, since the mission that went so horribly wrong, when Bucky died and he lost hearing in one ear and got sent home with an honorable discharge, a GI Bill and no fucking clue what to do with either. 

Tony stirs next to him, gold-touched and gorgeous, and Steve inhales. He hates that tone. 

“I’m not in the Army anymore,” he says. 

“No, sir,” the voice says. “But you are listed as next of kin--” 

He doesn’t hear what comes next, doesn’t hear anything but the roaring in his ears and the sound of the world exploding. 

He can feel this, though--Tony, wrapped around him, voice vibrating against Steve’s back. 

And his hand, squeezing, squeezing, warm and familiar and reassuring against the tremble of Steve’s fingers. 

~*~ 

“Ready?” Tony asks, softly. 

Steve shakes his head, and Tony pauses. Pulls Steve around to face him. Four years now, they’ve been together, four years, and they’ve grown up and into each other, and he can read the worry in Tony’s eyes, the fear and the determination. 

“It’s gonna be ok,” he says. 

“You don’t  _ know--”  _ Steve chokes, and Tony catches his face, holds him still. 

Pins him with a gaze fierce and intractable. 

Sweet stubborn ass. 

“It  _ will _ ,” Tony says, fierce. “We’re here, now. He’s  _ alive _ and I will throw every penny in my considerable bank account at rehabbing him, getting him everything he needs. Do you hear me, Steve?” 

“Why?” Steve asks, “You don’t even know him.” 

Tony shrugs and says, “Because you love him. And I love you.” 

Steve blinks, and Tony flushes, because it’s been four fucking  _ years _ , and they’ve never said that, and now Bucky Barnes is sitting on the other side of a hospital door, waiting for Steve to come and find him, and he will, he will, of course, he will. 

For just a moment, he stands with Tony, hands tangled together, calm and peaceful in a way he wasn’t, and as Tony squeezes his hand, wordlessly reassuring, he thinks--

Maybe that’s what they’d both been saying, all along. 


End file.
